LINCOLN — A notary public has been charged with 24 counts of official misconduct as part of an ongoing investigation into alleged fraud regarding two medical cannabis petitions in Nebraska. The charges were announced by Nebraska Attorney General Mike Hilgers and Hall County Attorney Marty Klein against 53-year-old Jacy C. Todd from York, who co-owns Herban Pulse, a CBD health and wellness shop in Grand Island. Authorities allege that Todd improperly notarized several petitions outside the presence of at least one circulator between January 29 and July 2. Each count of official misconduct is classified as a Class II misdemeanor, which carries a potential penalty of up to six months in prison or a $1,000 fine, or both.
The charges are linked to Todd’s notarization of signatures for medical cannabis initiatives aimed at legalizing and regulating marijuana in Nebraska. Reports indicate that Todd notarized 38 pages of signatures collected by paid circulator Michael K. Egbert, who faces felony charges for allegedly collecting fraudulent signatures, including those of deceased individuals.
Both Todd and Egbert’s cases raise significant concerns about election integrity in Nebraska. The Nebraska Examiner reached out to Herban Pulse for comments, but the call was disconnected. Todd did not appear to have legal representation based on initial court filings. Hilgers emphasized the importance of election integrity, stating, “Notaries are officers of the public and held to a higher standard of trust and honesty.”
Meanwhile, Hall County Election Commissioner Tracy Overstreet stated that her office takes election integrity very seriously and credited diligent verification efforts in identifying questionable signatures. The ongoing investigation could impact the validity of nearly 275 signatures on the legalization petition and 271 on the regulatory petition, highlighting the critical nature of these allegations.
As the situation unfolds, voters and petition sponsors are encouraged to stay informed about the potential implications for the cannabis initiatives in Nebraska.
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